Château Saint-Hilaire

This Cru Bourgeois property has well-sited vineyards right at the northern end of the Médoc, just north of Saint-Estephe, on deep gravel and clay-limestone soils. Plantings are divided between 55% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc and 45% merlot, and the average age of the vines is 30 years.

The wines spend 12 months in French oak barrels, one-third of which are renewed every year. Owner Adrian Uijttewal, a cattle farmer of Dutch descent, bought the château and the vineyards in the 1980s and began planting vines in the deep gravelly soil. Having then extended his vineyards he outgrew the original cellar and built a new one to supplement it, and followed this by calling upon the expertise of renowned consultant Eric Boissenot to help him to get the most out of the estate. The resulting wines are well balanced and have excellent ageing potential.

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